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Zao
Zao is a metalcore band that began out of Parkersburg, West Virginia in the United States. The band began in 1993, and have gone on and off since. The band has been a part of Steadfast Records, Solid State Records, and Ferret Music before forming their own label, Observed/Observer. The band has struggled through several lineup changes, with members Daniel Weydant, Scott Mellinger, and Russ Cogdell have been a part of the lineup for a long period of time that they are considered by several fans as the "core" of the band. History Original lineups and first releases (1993-1997) Zao began in March 2003.Zao (November 15, 2005). "Zao - The Lesser Lights of Heaven". YouTube. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. The band was formed by Eric Reeder on Vocals and Mic Cox on Bass, with Roy Goudy joining a few days later. The band hired a drummer, who did not show up to their practice space, which was at Jesse Smith's basement. Smith would take up the position of Drummer and the band was set. The band would start calling their style, "Christ-Centered hardcore", similar to the "Spirit-Filled hardcore" movement, they sought to reach an audience that had been pushed away from the organized church.Reeder, Eric (January-February 2007). "I Have a Dream... (Original Zao)." HM Magazine (123). p. 22. ISSN 1066-6923. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. In 1994, the band recorded their first demo, Author. ''In 1995, Reeder departed from the band. The band then hired Shawn Jonas as their new Vocalist and that year, the band recorded an EP and another demo, ''Sustained and The Tie That Binds. The Tie That Binds was a split EP alongside Outcast. At this time, the band had signed with Steadfast Records, a label run by Matt Traxler of Six Feet Deep.Jones, Brandon (June 30, 2017). "Steadfast Records Resurfaces, Original ZAO Releases Get Re-Released". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. Once they had signed with the label, the band entered the studio with Ben Schigel (Switched, Rikets, Chimara) and recorded All Else Failed in four days. The four band members would then sign with Tooth & Nail Records and Solid State Records and release their sophomore album, The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation. Around the time of this release, Cox departed from the band and was replaced by Kevin Moran and Ron Gray took on Rhythm Guitars. Once the two joined on, the band continued on for a brief time. Following Cornerstone Festival 1997, all the band members departed, save for Smith.Downy, Ryan. "Biography - Zao". AllMusic. Retrieved on November 20, 2018. Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest to All Else Failed re-recording (1998-2003) By this time, Goudy had already expressed interest in departing, so Smith had asked Brett Detar (ex-Pensive) to come in and try out. Once the lineup departed, Detar came on as their new Lead Guitarist. Detar recruited Daniel Weydant, who was the Backing Vocalist and Bassist for Seasons in the Field. Weydant agreed to join, only if Russ Cogdell could join as well. Smith and Detar agreed to the terms and the two joined the band. The band members would then record the band's seminal record, Where Blood & Fire Bring Rest, which came out in 1998 through Solid State Records and the lineup of Smith on Drums, Cogdell and Detar on Guitars and Bass, and Weydant on Vocals. The four went on without a live Bassist, performing live throughout the States. However, the following year, in 1999, Detar departed from the band and was replaced by Scott Mellinger on Lead Guitars and Rob Horner on Bass. With the two new members, the band recorded Liberate Te Ex Inferis, which was very well received. The new lineup took to the road many times before Cogdell departed from the band. Weydant departed from the lineup as well. During this time, Corey Darst and Matt Auxier took over Vocals and Guitars respectively. In 2001, the band unofficially broke-up. In 2001, Mellinger and Smith wrote and recorded two different albums, (Self-Titled) and Parade of Chaos. The two sent the tracks to Weydant and he performed Vocals in the studio. The band released (Self-Titled) in 2001 and Parade of Chaos in 2002. In 2003, the label required the band to re-record All Else Failed. Despite complaints from the band, they complied and recorded it. During some tour dates in 2003, Smith was unable to be located, which led to the band hiring Lance Garvin of Living Sacrifice and Soul Embraced on Drums to fill-in, while Weydant had again quit. Joshua Ashworth of Society's Finest took over the position for the time. At this time, the band Smith signed a deal with a new label to release a new record, as their contract with Solid State was up. However, no music was recorded before the label fell apart. Smith then reached out to Ferret Music and signed a two-album deal with the band. Smith's departure, The Funeral of God, and The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here (2004-2008) Ashworth, Smith, Horner, and Mellinger performed until Smith and Horner departed from the band, while Ashworth was let go, as Weydant returned once more. Weydant, Mellinger, and a returning Cogdell, hired on new Bassist and new Drummer Shawn Koschick and Sean Peck. Smith's departure had been coming for a long time, due to a long growing loathing for himself, as well as a disdain for the label and the band's music. Horner's departure, however, was not covered nearly as well. The two departing members went on to perform in a new band called Gods, alongside Moran, the band's former Bassist. Once the two departed and Weydant had returned, the three remaining members hired on the Jade Meridian rhythm section, a band that had consisted of Mellinger, Cogdell, Peck, and Koschick, and they continued onwards."The Return of Zao". HM Magazine (108). 2004. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. The band went to record their newest album, The Funeral of God, which marked the first album that was "not really a Christian" album. The album was also their first release through Ferret Music.Pratt, Greg (September 1, 2004). "Zao The Funeral of God". Exclaim!. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. The album was well received through many sites.Jordan (July 15, 2004). "Zao - The Funeral of God". Scene Point Blank Magazine. Retrieved on November 23, 2018.Williams, Thomas (July 13, 2004). "Zao - The Funeral of God". Teeth of the Divine. Retrieved on November 23, 2018.Hamilton, Jon (July 31, 2004). "Zao, "The Funeral of God" Review". JesusFreakHideout. Retrieved on November 23, 2018."From The Archive: Zao - The Funeral of God". Heavy is Heavy Blog. November 24, 2010. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. The next year, Koschick departed from the band, despite stating he would finish out the Praise the War Machine tour, where longtime friend and tour manager Martin Lunn took over the Bass position, joining during the City of Champions tour with The Juliana Theory. Peck, who had been a member only briefly, announced his departure about three weeks before an out-of-country tour with Bleeding Through, leading Weydant to reach out to Jeff Gretz, a friend of the bands'.Gretz, Jeff (October 22, 2017). "Jeff Gretz of Zao (Part One)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. Gretz never officially joined the band, according to him. In 2005, the band released their debut DVD, which featured interviews with all current members, former members Roy Goudy, Shawn Jonas, Jesse Smith, Brett Detar, and Stephen Peck, as well as friends Ryan Clark (Demon Hunter, Training for Utopia, Focal Point), Don Clark (Demon Hunter, Training for Utopia), Bruce Fitzhugh (Living Sacrifice), and notable fans Chris McLane (Stretch Arm Strong), CJ Anderson (Sinai Beach), and Jimmy Ryan (Haste the Day). The band entered the studio, in January 2006, to record their ninth studio album, The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here, with Steve Albini, who had produced Nirvana and Neurosis."ZAO The Making of The Fear is What Keeps Us Here". YouTube. April 3, 2012. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. However, due to a surgery that was already scheduled, Cogdell was unavailable to attend the recording process.wookubus. "Zao - The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here". The PRP. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. The four remaining members went in and recorded the album quickly, most of it recorded live, save for leads and vocals. Following the recording, the band embarked on a tour with In Flames, Trivium, and Devildriver, and following that tour, the band co-headlined their second Ferret Music Tour. However, during that tour Weydant severely injured his hand, which resulted in them dropping off the tour."Zao singer injured, band drops off tour". Lambgoat. March 31, 2006. Retrieved on November 23, 2018."Zao Drop Off 'Under The Gun' Tour Due To Singer Injury". Blabbermouth.net. March 31, 2006. Retrieved on November 23, 2018. The band would release the album, while on tour with Demon Hunter. The fall of 2006 toured with Evergreen Terrace, Throwdown, and Maylene and the Sons of Disaster and following the tour Mellinger and Weydant discussed a long term break after the hiatus. In hopes to continue touring, Gretz departed from the band and soon thereafter joined From Autumn to Ashes. On January 23, 2007, the band officially announced the return of Cogdell and that Josh Walters (The Juliana Theory) would fill-in the drum position whenever the band returned next. Following the statement, Walters was recanted to perform with the band"Zao loses drummer". Lambgoat. May 4, 2007. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. and that Dean Minerva, a friend of the band's, would perform with them. In mid-2008, the band performed their first show since 2006 with Demon Hunter and the lineup of Weydant, Mellinger, Lunn, and Gretz, with Cogdell not returning. Following the band's return, they entered the studio and recorded with Tim Lambesis of As I Lay Dying and Daniel Castleton. Awake? and Cogdell's third return and another hiatus (2009-2013) On May 5, 2009, Zao released their tenth album, Awake?, which was released on Ferret Music. However, the album was only released through Ferret, due to a lack of another outlet. There were no prior plans to release it through them initially. The album was co-produced by Lambesis, Castleton, and Mellinger. Cogdell returned once more in 2010. However, once his return occurred, not much more with the band happened, save for the loss of the band's URL at the time, stating they would create a new site, but this never occurred. Xenophobe, The Well-Intentioned Virus, Pyrrhic Victory, ''and new material (2014-present) On July 11, 2014, the band went into the studio, following their five-year unofficial hiatus and working on side projects Lonely//Ghost//Parade and Young Fox, and began tracking their 11th release."Go time". Instagram. February 5, 2015. Retrieved on November 26, 2018. On July 10, 2015, a year later, the band released their debut EP, ''Xenophobe, independently. The band members consisted of Weydant, Mellinger, Cogdell, Lunn, and Gretz. Following the release of the EP, the band announced a follow-up full-length, titled The Well-Intentioned Virus. The band discussed on the As The Story Grows Podcast about the tracks of the release, and the lyrical background for the songs."Dan, Jeff and Scott from Zao (Part One)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner. May 6, 2016. Retrieved on November 27, 2018."Dan, Jeff and Scott from Zao...again (Part Two)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner. March 13, 2016. Retrieved on November 27, 2018. The band mentioned that they had recorded a lot of extra material that did not end up on the album, releasing a flexi-disc through Decibel Magazine, titled "Drifting Shadows in Walking Dreams".Mudrain, Albert (October 28, 2016). "Get this Limited ZAO Flexi Disc When You Subscribe to Decibel!". Decibel Magazine. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. On November 3, 2017, the band released Pyrrhic Victory, which featured five songs that did not appear on The Well-Intentioned Virus, including "Drifting Shadows in Walking Dreams".Beard, Mason (September 22, 2017). "Zao Pre-Orders for Upcoming EP". Indie Vision Music. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. During an interview with Travis Turner (ex-Aletheian, ex-Solamors, ex-Becoming the Archetype), Gretz revealed that the band had been working on new material, which was later confirmed by the band themselves, working on a new album."Zao to release new album in 2019". Lambgoat. November 5, 2018. Retrieved on November 29, 2018."Jeff Gretz of Zao (Part One)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner. October 22, 2017. Retrieved on November 29, 2018."Jeff Gretz of Zao (Part Two)". As The Story Grows Podcast. Interview with Travis Turner. October 29, 2017. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. On September 21, 2018, the band released a song on a split 7", called "Hide from the Light", which was included on the split with Yashira."Zao premieres new song. Lambgoat." September 13, 2018. Retrieved on November 29, 2018. The band is set to release a new album in 2019. Members Current * Daniel "Dan" Weydant - Vocals (1998-2000, 2001-2003, 2004-present), Bass (2003) * Scott Mellinger - Lead Guitars (1999-present), Clean Vocals (2003-present) * Russ Cogdell - Rhythm Guitars (1998-2000, 2004-2008, 2010-present), Bass (1998-1999) * Martin "Marty" Lunn - Bass (2005-present) * Jeff Gretz - Drums (2005-2007, 2008-present) Former * Eric Reeder - Vocals (1993-1995) * Shawn Jonas - Vocals (1995-1998) * Roy Goudy - Lead Guitars (1993-1998) * Brett Detar - Lead Guitars, Bass (1998-1999) * Ron Gray - Rhythm Guitars (1997-1998) * Mic Cox - Bass (1993-1997) * Kevin Moran - Bass (1997-1998) * Rob Horner - Bass (1999-2004) * Shawn Koschik - Bass (2004-2005) * Jesse Smith - Drums (1993-2003, 2004) * Stephen Peck - Drums (2004-2005) Live * Corey Darst - Vocals (2000-2001, 2017) * Joshua Ashworth - Vocals (2003-2004) * Matt Auxier - Rhythm Guitars (2000-2001) * Lance Garvin - Drums (2003) * Josh Walters - Drums (2007) * Dean Minerva - Drums (2007) Timeline TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy Colors = id:Vocals value:claret legend:Lead_vocals id:CVocals value:red legend:Clean_vocals id:LGuitar value:teal legend:Lead_guitar id:RGuitar value:green legend:Rhythm_guitar id:Bass value:blue legend:Bass id:Drums value:orange legend:Drums id:Live value:magenta legend:Other_members id:album value:black legend:Studio_album id:other value:gray(0.55) legend:Other_release id:bgbars value:gray(0.95) Legend = orientation:vertical position:bottom columns:4 BackgroundColors=bars:bgbars ScaleMajor = increment:2 start:1994 Scaleminor = increment:1 start:1994 LineData = layer:back at:01/01/1994 color:other at:01/01/1995 color:other at:09/01/1995 color:other at:05/01/1996 color:album at:09/01/1996 color:other at:04/01/1997 color:album at:05/19/1998 color:album at:08/18/1998 color:other at:08/10/1999 color:album at:02/27/2001 color:album at:07/10/2002 color:album at:02/19/2003 color:album at:07/12/2004 color:album at:06/12/2006 color:album at:05/05/2009 color:album at:07/10/2015 color:other at:12/09/2016 color:album at:11/03/2017 color:other at:09/21/2018 color:other BarData = bar:ER text:"Eric Reeder" bar:SJ text:"Shawn Jonas" bar:DW text:"Dan Weyandt" bar:CD text:"Corey Darst" bar:JA text:"Joshua Ashworth" bar:RG text:"Roy Goudy" bar:BD text:"Brett Detar" bar:SM text:"Scott Mellinger" bar:RG2 text:"Ron Gray" bar:RC text:"Russ Cogdell" bar:MA text:"Matt Auxier" bar:MC text:"Mic Cox" bar:KM text:"Kevin Moran" bar:RH text:"Rob Horner" bar:SK text:"Shawn Koschik" bar:ML text:"Martin Lunn" bar:JS text:"Jesse Smith" bar:LG text:"Lance Garvin" bar:SP text:"Stephen Peck" bar:JG text:"Jeff Gretz" bar:JW text:"Josh Walters" bar:DM text:"Dean Minerva" PlotData= width:11 bar:ER from:start till:10/01/1995 color:Vocals bar:SJ from:10/01/1995 till:07/07/1997 color:Vocals bar:DW from:01/01/1998 till:01/01/2000 color:Vocals bar:DW from:01/01/2001 till:06/01/2003 color:Vocals bar:DW from:01/01/2004 till:end color:Vocals bar:CD from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 color:Vocals bar:CD from:01/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 color:Live width:3 bar:CD from:04/10/2017 till:04/10/2017 color:Vocals bar:CD from:04/10/2017 till:04/10/2017 color:Live width:3 bar:JA from:06/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:Vocals bar:JA from:06/01/2003 till:01/01/2004 color:Live width:3 bar:RG from:start till:02/23/1998 color:LGuitar bar:RC from:02/23/1998 till:06/01/2000 color:RGuitar bar:MA from:06/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 color:RGuitar bar:MA from:06/01/2000 till:01/01/2001 color:Live width:3 bar:RC from:02/23/1998 till:04/01/1999 color:Bass width:3 bar:RC from:03/01/2004 till:06/01/2008 color:RGuitar bar:RC from:03/22/2010 till:end color:RGuitar bar:BD from:02/23/1998 till:04/01/1999 color:LGuitar bar:BD from:02/23/1998 till:04/01/1999 color:Bass width:3 bar:SM from:04/04/1999 till:end color:LGuitar bar:SM from:01/01/2003 till:end color:CVocals width:3 bar:RG2 from:07/07/1997 till:02/23/1998 color:RGuitar bar:MC from:start till:07/07/1997 color:Bass bar:KM from:07/07/1997 till:02/23/1998 color:Bass bar:RH from:04/04/1999 till:02/01/2004 color:Bass bar:SK from:02/01/2004 till:01/01/2005 color:Bass bar:ML from:01/01/2005 till:end color:Bass bar:JS from:start till:01/01/2003 color:Drums bar:JS from:start till:01/01/2003 color:CVocals width:3 bar:LG from:01/01/2003 till:09/01/2003 color:Drums bar:LG from:01/01/2003 till:09/01/2003 color:Live width:3 bar:JS from:09/01/2003 till:02/01/2004 color:Drums bar:SP from:02/01/2004 till:05/01/2005 color:Drums bar:JG from:05/01/2005 till:01/01/2007 color:Drums bar:JW from:01/23/2007 till:05/04/2007 color:Drums bar:JW from:01/23/2007 till:05/04/2007 color:Live width:3 bar:DM from:05/04/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:Drums bar:DM from:05/04/2007 till:01/01/2008 color:Live width:3 bar:JG from:01/01/2008 till:end color:Drums bar:JS from:10/08/2017 till:10/08/2017 color:Vocals bar:JS from:10/08/2017 till:10/08/2017 color:Live width:3 }} Discography Studio albums * All Else Failed (1995) * The Splinter Shards the Birth of Separation (1997) * Where Blood and Fire Bring Rest (1998) * Liberate Te Ex Inferis (1999) * (Self-Titled) (2001) * Parade of Chaos (2002) * All Else Failed (2003) * The Funeral of God (2004) * The Fear Is What Keeps Us Here (2006) * Awake? (2009) * The Well-Intentioned Virus (2016) Compilations * Legendary (2003) * The 2nd Era (2011) EPs * Xenophobe (2015) * Pyrrhic Victory (2017) Splits * The Tie That Binds (1995; w/ Outcast) * Treadwater (1996; w/ Through and Through) * Training for Utopia / Zao (1998; w/ Training for Utopia) * Zao / Luti-Kriss Sampler (2001; w/ Luti-Kriss) * On Wings of Lead / The Rising End (2003; w/ Bleeding Through) * Zao/Yashira (2018; w/ Yashira) Video album * The Lesser Lights of Heaven (2005) Demos * Author (1994) * Sustained (1995) Singles * "Within a Dream" * "Black Coffee" (2002) * "Sancho/Crimson Kroll" (2002) * "21st Century Thriller" (2003) * '"She's Not Leaving, She's Not Breathing" (2003) * "The Romance of the Southern Spirit" (2004) * "Drifting Shadows in Walking Dreams" (2016) * "Xenophobe" (2016) * "Hide From the Light" (2018) References Category:Christian Metal Bands Category:Christian Hardcore Bands Category:Former Christian Metal Bands Category:Metalcore Bands Category:Steadfast Records artists Category:Solid State Records artists Category:Ferret Music artists Category:Observed Observer artists Category:United States Bands